Executive Team
Dorian Graham
CEO
Dorian’s love for animals has never been anything short of magnificent. Since the tender age of 5 years old he has been training dogs in Cleveland, OH. At that time he had no idea how he could turn it into a career, but as he always does, he made a way. Throughout the rest of his foundational years Dorian continued to train neighborhood dogs, while juggling school and multiple jobs as he was preparing for college to major in Zoology and Primatology. Once realizing his dreams were not aligned with the conventional needs of college he parted with his university and boldly set out on his journey to be a full-time Dog Trainer. In his career, Dorian has saved the lives of countless dogs, rehabilitated dogs who were declared “untrainable” and changed the lives of many dog owners. He applies his vast knowledge of dog behavioral psychology daily and translates dog behavior in ways that everyday owners can understand. His spirit is genuine and nurturing. Dorian is a natural leader and the glue that holds the Black Crown Premier team together. His vision has no limits and no dog is left unsaved so long as he can help it. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic he moved to Charlotte, NC and decided that it was time to make his dreams a reality. We now have Black Crown Premier Dog Services because of his unwavering vision, love for dogs, and his courage.
Dorian is the proud dog father of a Black Russian Terrier, Drago and a female Giant Schnauzer, Bella and her brand new litter of puppies.
Maggie Gruner
COO
Maggie has always loved animals, from pretending to be a dog as a young child to begging her parents to keep every stray cat or dog they came across. Early in life, she aspired to be a veterinarian, before realizing that the sciences were just not the right fit. Coming from an academic family and seeing no academic careers involving animals outside the sciences, Maggie found herself detouring away from her love for animals. She attended Oberlin College in Ohio, graduating in 2011 with several majors, none of which were even remotely related to animals. Beyond the benefits of any college experience, Maggie’s time at Oberlin led to several significant discoveries: she hated the idea of spending her life behind a desk researching, she’d fallen in love with Cleveland (and still considers it her true home!), and she’d reawakened a passion for animals by adopting an extremely undersocialized, reserved rescue boxer.
Though Maggie and Ryder only shared two years together, his rehabilitation inspired Maggie to look into careers involving animals, specifically dogs (he also inspired the first of several tattoos). In 2012, Maggie began working at the largest doggie daycare in Cleveland, and by 2013 she assumed the role of General Manager. Maggie loved every bit of her daycare experience, but also found herself wanting more - more challenges, more opportunities, more ways to positively impact dogs. In 2015, Maggie was offered the opportunity to learn from a professional dog trainer with over 40 years of experience. This opportunity quickly fulfilled many of the things she’d been looking for, and she spent the next six years working closely with several seasoned trainers and helping as many dogs and families as possible.
Currently Maggie has three dogs and one cat: Peaches, a 9-year-old hound mix; Cashew, a 9-year-old beagle mix; Ausra, a 5-year-old husky; and Brecken, a 10-year-old tabby. In her free time, Maggie enjoys baking (always vegan!), board games, hiking with her pack, and spending time with family and friends, especially her adorable toddler nephews. Maggie is excited for the next step in her canine career and for all the potential Black Crown has to enrich the lives of dog owners in Charlotte.